Sustainable growth in international education in the UK will not be possible if the government does not “commit to a suite of evidence-informed policies” to allow for an equitable and inclusive sector, a new paper has said.
The recommendations from the UK’s national advisory body on international students, UKCISA, say that language used in government policy and campaigns needs to be “positive” and “acknowledge the strength and contributions of international students and their dependants to their communities”.
UKCISA says policy changes, including on the family allowance for postgraduate taught students, increases in immigration fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge, the Graduate route visa review, as well as changes to the skill worker salary threshold, deter prospective students.
It called on the government to enhance data by coordinating collection across departments to build a comprehensive evidence base to “enhance national and regional policymaking and resource planning”.
